Drop boxes outside schools for students to discreetly submit complaints

Earlier this year, a project on similar lines was carried out by the police in Nainital district after a girl was allegedly molested by a support staff of a Haldwani public school in April. The Uttarakhand Police’s decision comes in the wake of the Gurugram murder case wherein a seven-year-old student was found with throat slit inside a private school in September.

DEHRADUN: Drop boxes will be set up outside all schools to allow students discreetly submit complaints against teaching, non-teaching staff and even classmates regarding molestation, bullying and other wrongdoings, a senior police officer said.

Earlier this year, a project on similar lines was carried out by the police in Nainital district after a girl was allegedly molested by a support staff of a Haldwani public school in April. The Uttarakhand Police’s decision comes in the wake of the Gurugram murder case wherein a seven-year-old student was found with throat slit inside a private school in September.

Incidentally, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) stipulates that its schools put up complaint, or suggestion boxes. Uttarakhand reported 635 crimes against children in 2015, according to the National Crimes Record Bureau (NCRB).

Police heads of all the districts were told to ensure drop boxes were installed outside schools, additional director general of police, law and order, Ashok Kumar told HT. “Through the drop boxes, students who are too afraid, embarrassed or hesitant to speak up (about any wrongdoing) will be able to reach out to the police without disclosing names,” he said. “Directions were issued to all district police heads to ensure compliance of the order in their areas. Police station in-charges will be responsible for redressal of complaints once the boxes are set up.”

Welcoming the decision, a school vice-principal had a note of caution for the law-keepers. “It is a good initiative, but the police should maintain the confidentiality and privacy of the child as well as of the school while carrying out investigation,” Doon International School vice principal Dinesh Barthwal said, adding many schools have internal grievance and counseling mechanism for students.

Another teacher pointed out that with ‘anonymous complaints’, the police will have an added task at hand to corroborate the charges. “Otherwise, a complaint made just on the basis of ill-will may end up jeopardising study of a student or career of a teacher (accused of wrongdoing),” asserted a senior teacher of a leading Dehradun-based public school.